French CRS riot police run past garbage bins and object set on fire amid clashes with protesters in Paris.
France has suspended the use of stun grenades during student protests after a 15-year-old boy lost his hand in an incident involving the device earlier this week. The local prefect said police had been confronted by a group of around 200 to 250 students throwing stones and fireworks when the incident occurred. Concerns over police conduct have also been raised after a 14-year-old boy was hit in the face by a tear gas grenade during a protest in Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, north-west of Paris, last week.
His lawyer said the teenager lost several teeth and suffered a fractured jaw.
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez said he had ordered the suspension until the circumstances surrounding Monday’s incident in Lens had been “clarified”. “There is a police action that raises questions for all of us within the Ministry of the Interior; it’s what happened in Lens,” Nuñez told French radio RTL. He confirmed that the use of stun grenades would be suspended “until the facts surrounding this case have been clarified”.
Protesters and officials have given different accounts of what happened. The decision comes as criticism grows over police tactics during demonstrations that have spread from school pupils to parents, university students and trade unions. A police officer has been charged in connection with the incident.